MANILA — Rabid supporters of Sta. Lucia wore “We Believe” shirts for last night. After the smoke of the first skirmish cleared, it was favored Purefoods which was in disbelief.
The Realtors rallied from an early deficit and ran the Tender Juicy Giants to the ground late in the second half to pound out a 109-97 victory for first blood in the Philippine Cup’s best-of-seven title series before a boisterous Araneta Coliseum crowd. Kelly Williams led the swashbuckling assault, shooting 14 points in the fourth period to key the Sta. Lucia breakaway, which left the Giants dumbfounded and with an obviously dented psyche.
“The championship jitters were there. We started slow,” Sta. Lucia’s Boyet Fernandez said. “I told my players (at halftime) that we didn’t come to the championship series to play catch up basketball.”
The Realtors did rally well, as they overhauled a nine-point first half deficit with ease and surged ahead for good with a late burst in the third period which allowed them to take a 79-75 lead into the fourth.
And it was an all Sta. Lucia show from there, as Williams mocked all defenses thrown at him for the impressive victory.
“As long as we play defense the way we did, no matter what they (Tender Juicy Giants) say, they will have a hard time beating us,” Fernandez, who is shooting for his first championship and the franchise’s first all-Filipino title added.
“We are not dirty (defensively). We’re just playing real good defense.”
Sta. Lucia skipper Dennis Espino also played great, flashing vintage form to score 13 of his 20 points in the third period, a stretch which Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio said they lost the game.
It was actually Marlou Aquino who gave the Realtors their first taste of the lead, scoring on a layup for 71-70 with 2:40 left in the third. And after Marc Pingris forged the game’s last tie at 74-74 with a short stab with 1:44 left, Dennis Miranda closed the quarter with five straight points, completing a three-point play off Roger Yap first before a short jumper gave them that five-point edge.
Aquino had a three-point play of his own at the start of the fourth and the Realtors totally dominated the Giants with a hale of baskets that gave them a 101-87 lead entering the final three minutes.
Williams, last season’s top rookie, scored two triples and had the shot of the night — a two-handed breakaway dunk — in that back-breaking run.
“This is a big boost to the morale of the boys,” Fernandez added. “I told them that it was up to us to adjust to the scenario of the championship series.
“Purefoods will try to find ways to stop our defense in Game 2,” he added.
